Revelation - Chapter 1

An Image of Christ

Revelation 1:13-15 – and in the midst of the seven lamp-stand, [one] like to a son of man, clothed to the foot, and girt round at the breast with a golden girdle, and his head and hairs white, as if white wool – as snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire; and his feet like to fine brass, as in a furnace having been fired, and his voice as a sound of many waters, (YLT)

This passage uses imagery language to describe Christ in the same way a poem would today. In verse 13, “clothed to the foot” is referring to wearing a robe like a priest. What about the golden girdle around the breast? The Greek word used for breast here is mastos which usually refers to a nursing mother. So Christ is the ultimate priest because He represents both male and female sides of mankind. Verse 14 speaks of white hair like wool or snow. This same description can be seen in these other verses in the Bible:

Daniel 7:9 – ‘I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow [is] white, and the hair of his head [is] as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire. (YLT)

Leviticus 19:32 – ‘At the presence of grey hairs thou dost rise up, and thou hast honoured the presence of an old man, and hast been afraid of thy God; I [am] Jehovah. (YLT)

John 1:29 – on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, ‘Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world; (YLT)

Daniel uses this same description to describe Christ seated at His throne on the day of the Great White Throne judgment. Christ is old and wise on this day as seen in Leviticus. The use of “wool” can be used to symbolize Christ as the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world as seen in John.

Next, verse 15 says that His feet are like fine brass. Bronze, brass, or copper is symbolic of judgment. An example of this is the bronze alter in the outer court of the Tabernacle:

Exodus 27:1 – ‘And thou hast made the altar of shittim wood, five cubits the length, and five cubits the breadth – the alter is square – and three cubits its height. (YLT)

Finally Revelation 1:15 mentions Christ’s voice like a sound of “many waters.” Jumping ahead, this is also seen in Revelation chapter 14:

Revelation 14:2-3 – and I head a voice out of the heaven, as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder, and a voice I head of harpers having with their harps, and they sing, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the hundred forty-four thousands, who have been brought from the earth; (YLT)

The 144,000 in chapter 14 refers to The Barley Overcomers, who will judge along side Christ. They will sing a song, and because there is 144,000 of them it will sound like a voice of many waters, instead of Christ singing by Himself. This shows us that the 144,000 have a say in the judgment as side judges, with Christ as the head judge. So we can see that Revelation 1:13-15 gives us a picture of what it will be like on the Great White Throne of judgment. To describe this great future event, God choose to use imagery instead of literal language. I believe this is because imagery can be carried on from generation to generation, while literal language changes over time.

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